Mongolian Habits to Adopt

In the countryside 

Sometimes I like to think about what aspects of the Mongolian lifestyle I would take home with me to the U.S. I don't yet know when that will be, but I know at some point I will relocate back to my home country. 

First, I LOVE that people take their shoes off at the entry door. I cringe when I reflect on all the years I walked IN SHOES throughout my homes/apartments ON CARPET. Oh...so nasty! Here, and I expect in most of Asia, you take your shoes off at the door. In my own apartment I wear slippers around and even offer extra slippers to visitors. Most people are comfortable moving around in their stocking feet. But I appreciate that this keeps my home CLEAN longer. If you think about it, our shoes go EVERYWHERE. They are covered in dirt, grime, oil and other auto fluids, and here in Mongolia, I know they are also coated in urine. Animal and human. Oh, and lots of concrete dust. So yes, I LOVE that we take our shoes off at the door. 

Secondly, I've noticed that upon entering the apartment the first thing that Zorig and Enji do is to wash their hands. My friend Doogii and her daughter Zaya did the same thing when they visited me. This makes sense because we've been outside riding on a public bus or a taxi and who knows what our hands have been touching. I've adopted this habit and plan to do it the rest of my life. It makes perfect sense. 

Thirdly, and I will have NO ability to make this change in the U.S., but I want to discuss it anyway. When you purchase electronics in Mongolia, you generally make payment to a cashier then take your receipt to the first floor (remember that Malls in Mongolia are built UP and not out) where you show your receipt. An employee goes to collect your appliance or electronic from storage and then they unpack it, plug it in, and show you that it functions. This ensures that you don't have to return the item. Granted, this means more work up front; but avoids that LONG line of returns at the front of Walmart. Strangely, it's proactive--which is not generally Mongolian imho! 

Additionally, because many of us are walking the item to our home, the employee creates a  handy-dandy handle from fat scotch tape so that it's easy to carry the item home. They do this free of charge, of course. I think it's brilliant!

There are certainly other habits or ways of life I'd like to take with me....but these are a few to get started with that I've been reflecting on recently. 

I'll end with this original store exterior that I happened by on the way to visit my in-laws recently. I love coming across random things like this on the streets of Ulaanbaatar. I confess that this week has shifted us into winter. It was cold and blustery for the last few days. The days are getting shorter. Now I look forward to Dec 20 and the shift to days getting longer again. While the cold is extreme and the pollution will get bad, it is the darkness that gets me down. But when the new year arrives, we'll be climbing out of the darkness. It's been a great week off for Fall Break. Back to work on Monday!! Cheers!